The present invention is concerned with radially resilient electrical sockets of the type sometimes referred to as barrel terminals in which a solid, cylindrical, electrical prong is axially inserted into a socket whose interior surface is defined by a plurality of wires mounted within a cylindrical sleeve in tension between angularly offset positions at opposite ends of the sleeve. The wires lie along an axially concave surface of revolution coaxial with the axis of the cylindrical sleeve whose minimum radius is slightly less than the radius of the cylindrical prong. When the prong is inserted axially into the sleeve, the individual wires are slightly stretched and collectively exert a reasonably firm frictional grip upon the prong.
Electrical connectors of this type are well known in the prior art. These connectors are finding increasing employment, particularly in the automotive field, for such usage as connecting relatively heavy output cables to generators or alternators, for example. The frictional grip imparted by such sockets is sufficient to maintain a firm mechanical connection in the face of normal usage while accommodating relatively easy manual withdrawal or insertion of the prong into the socket, while at the same time providing adequate electrical contact area between the prong and the socket. Prior art connectors in which the radially resilient socket is defined by a plurality of wires assembled within a cylindrical sleeve to define an hourglass shaped cage of the type described above present substantial assembly problems. The connectors are not espectially large, a typical sleeve may have nominal dimensions of approximately one inch in length and one-half inch in outside diameter and within such a sleeve a reasonably large number, say 12 to 15, individual wires must be located to extend between angularly displaced locations at opposite ends of the sleeve and accurately fixed in position. While various fixtures have been designed to assist in this operation, a substantial amount of manual work is involved, which substantially increases the cost of production.
The present invention is especially directed to a method and structural arrangement which enables barrel terminal sockets to be rapidly and accurately assembled with minimum reliance on manual processing.